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Every mother should be aware about mMitra; no mother and child should suffer due to lack of information

Megha Rahilya, 23, mother of a three-month-old baby boy

From: Valmiki Basti, New Delhi

Monthly household income: ₹8,000

Enrolled in mMitra during: 7th month of pregnancy

The taboo around not disclosing pregnancy at an early stage prevented Megha to enrol for the mMitra voice call services despite being confident about its benefits. “An ASHA didi (elder sister) in my area informed me about the programme. I found the concept quite useful. However, my mother-in-law dissuaded me to enrol in it since she thought it was too early to talk to anyone about my conception,” she says.

Megha was pregnant for the second time. Her first pregnancy had ended in a miscarriage at six months. “I wanted to be careful this time and not indulge in things that could have harmed us,” adds Megha. As her pregnancy grew, so did her difficulties and anxieties. However, against all odds, Megha went ahead to enrol herself for mMitra during the seventh month. “I remember I was the happiest then. I felt secured after listening to the mMitra calls; they were very easy to understand. They educated me about so many facets of pregnancy and that’s the reason I was able to deliver a healthy baby,” she says.

For Megha and her husband, mMitra has become an integral part of their lives now. She is glad that her husband has finally realised the benefits of the calls. “We decided to continue with the services after our baby was born. The calls guide us through his vaccination schedule, feeding routine and warn us again any complication that can
arise at any point of time,” she informs.

Megha has become a self-proclaimed mascot of mMitra. “I want everyone around me to be aware about this programme so that no mother and child suffer due to lack of information,” she asserts.